Buttock Lift

Overview

A butt lift, also known as gluteoplasty is a cosmetic surgical procedure that enhances the size and shape of the buttocks. In some cases, a buttock lift is done as a part of a tummy tuck or lower body lift. As a butt lift alone cannot add volume to the buttocks, it is done in combination with an augmentation procedure for a change in the size or shape of the buttocks. 

Who is the best candidate for a butt lift?

you are a good candidate for butt lift if:

1. You feel that your buttocks lack fullness, size, and shape due to genetics or age and are looking to improve its volume and contour.
2. You are in good general health for a surgical procedure and can tolerate the anesthesia.
3. You have realistic goals in mind that can be reached with the BBL procedure and there are times that some patients do not have adequate good fat for transferral.
4. You avoid smoking and consuming alcohol for the specified time period, 2 weeks before and 2 weeks after surgery.
5. You do not have excessive, sagging skin around the region of your lower buttocks. If you do, you may still be a candidate if you undergo surgery to remove the skin prior to undergoing the BBL procedure.

Before Procedure

Initially, the doctor will review the medical history, medication, and social history of the person. A physical examination is done to analyse the buttocks, skin, and lower body. The doctor will take the pictures of buttocks for future comparison and keep them in your medical records. You need to undergo certain tests to assess your overall health for undergoing the procedure. 

You will also be advised to take the following precautions before buttocks lift:

• Tell the doctor about your current medications, vitamins and mineral supplements
• Notify the doctor if you are allergic to any drug or substance
• Avoid alcohol consumption
• Quit smoking
• Do not take certain medicines, such as aspirin or any other painkillers, which may increase the risk of bleeding during the procedure

A buttock lift is an outpatient procedure, so ask someone to accompany you to drive you home after the surgery. 

About Procedure

A Brazilian butt lift consists of fat grafting that is notable for its natural-looking results. The procedure involves the following steps:

1. The procedure is usually performed under anesthesia, but in procedures where a smaller volume of fat is transferred, it may be done with only local anesthesia (numbing medication). You may ask for an anti-nausea medication beforehand, especially if anesthesia makes you sick.
2. Your surgeon then uses liposuction to remove fat from other areas of your body, such as your hips, stomach, and thighs. Liposuction itself involves making incisions in the skin, and then using a tube to remove fat from the body.
3. The fat stores that have just been removed from your body are purified and readied for injection into your buttocks.
4. Your surgeon finishes by injecting the processed fat into specific areas of the buttocks to create a more rounded, full look. They make three to five incisions around the buttocks for fat transfers.
5. Both liposuction and fat transfer incisions are closed up with stitches. Your surgeon then applies a compression garment against the affected areas of skin to minimize your risk of bleeding.

Post Procedure Care

Here’s what you can expect after the procedure.

1. Pain and Discomfort

After liposuction has been done, you are likely to experience some discomfort in the areas where fat was removed. The severity will vary but you can get rid of the pain through over-the-counter or prescriptions from your surgeon to help you through the Brazilian butt lift recovery process.

2. Fluid Draining

After a BBL procedure, you’re likely to notice blood-stained fluid oozing from the incisions where fat was removed. This should not worry you as draining is due to the excess fluids from these points which is entirely normal. This typically stops within 24 hours after the procedure.

3. Swelling

Don’t be alarmed to notice some swelling or asymmetry on your buttocks. After the procedure, some of the injected fat will be eventually digested as normal fat calories. This is why when aiming at a preferred enhancement size the surgeons have to go a bit bigger because not all the fat will be retained. After about 5-6 weeks post-procedure, you’ll be able to tell the amount of fat that has survived.

After this, the Brazilian butt lift recovery process will be smooth and everything should stay consistent and there should be no more fat loss and the injected fat will remain incorporated into your own body tissues.

4. The BBL Recovery Process Differs for Everyone

Everyone will respond to the procedure differently. This means the timeline for BBL recovery will not be the same for everyone. The time you will have to wear the compression garment will differ from patient to patient. How well your skin will contract during the first week’s post-procedure visit will vary according to many factors.

Recovery Tips

The above are the five things you should expect immediately after the operation. Now that you’re well prepared, let’s look at the 5 Brazilian butt lift recovery tips you need to follow to maximize your BBL results.

1. Sitting and Sleeping

Are you aware of how many times you’re sitting down in a day? We sit down almost the whole day at work, in the nicely padded movie seats, at the dinner table, in the car, etc. If you get a BBL this is something you’ll have to avoid at all costs. With the exception of the toilet, you have to avoid sitting down for a period not less than 10-14 days after the procedure.

You’ll need to sleep either sideways or on your chest down during the entire recovery period. In case you’re worried about unconsciously rolling over onto your back while sleeping; you could wear a backpack with a golf/tennis ball in it. If you assume a back position while sleeping, the ball will cause your back discomfort, making you shift onto your side.

2. Compression Garments

Following the BBL operation, the surgeon will recommend wearing a special compression garment to help treat the liposuctioned areas. It’s recommended to wear the garment for a period determined by your surgeon to ensure that the areas heal well. It also helps to minimize swelling, reduce discomfort, and help the skin contract.

3. Exercise

You are advised to keep away from all high-impact physical activities/exercises until cleared by your surgeon. Performing strenuous routines before when you’re yet to heal fully could affect the fat transferred. After about 6-8 weeks following the operation, the fat cells transferred will be stable enough to undertake vigorous exercises.

4. Healthy Diet

You’ll need to follow your surgeon’s recommended dietary guidelines. This will include plans like eating well-balanced meals, low sugar intake and fat consumption. You’ll also need to watch out for salty foods because this will promote liquid retention.

5. Stay alert for Infection Signs

You’ll need to be wary of the signs of a possible BBL infection. Such signs might include excessive amounts of swelling and/ redness; if either of these symptoms occur, you are advised to contact the surgeon immediately.